No New Year's resolutions

Yeah, that's right! I am not making any New Year's resolutions this year. It's just too much hassle and to much disappointment involved when you can't keep them. So just generally hoping for a pleasant year for everyone. However, if you are making resolutions, here are some general tips and not just for New Years resolutions:

1. Set achievable goals instead of ideal goals.
2. Expect setbacks.
3. Don't use excuses or setbacks to put it off for another year.

In fact I hardly noticed that we changed year. Here we are in the city that has one of the first and most amazing fireworks displays in the world and we slept through it all. I guess I was counting on hubby to wake me up  for the fireworks,  in case I nodded off in front of the TV and he counted on me doing the same.  We slept like like babies until early morning but looking on the bright side, we now have a bottle of champagne to drink at a suitable moment!

This is what we missed.

We have had some very hot days here in Australia, in some places near +50C but not here. We had maybe around +35C but even that that is way above my comfort temperature, so I am very grateful that the house we are renting has a pool. We virtually live in it. In fact I hear splashing right now which means that hubby is trying to get onto the giant inflatable ring. It usually takes a few tries and is quite amusing to watch. We usually have to fill up with more water too when he's had a few tries.

New Year's Day we went for a drive to the northern beaches and ended up having lunch in Mona Vale and then we drove on to West Head where you have a beautiful view over to Palm Beach.

It is called the Pacific Highway but of course it is  not the street that you drive on in Sydney but this is for the life in the ocean, for the whales and the penguins and the dolphins etc. I hope you can read it.

Other than that we have had a big yacht race  from Sydney to Hobart and again I missed out on seeing the boats start out because we forgot, but one of these days.

On a sad note, Michael Schumacher is in coma in  hospital in my second home town, Grenoble.

My thoughts are with his family.

   

Empty nest again

My brother and sister in law just left to go back to Melbourne. It is such a long drive, but I almost think they will be better off in an a/c car than outside today. They have forecast over 40° C in Melbourne and up to 45° in Mildura. It will probably be hot here too, but there always seem to be a bit of a breeze so even though we don't have a/c it stays relatively cool if you open the windows on both sides to let the air through.

Speaking of a/c, since we are now in January I really have to get going finding another house. We don't need a three-story house with 300 square meters to clean (or more often, not).

Tomorrow is going to be terrible in regards to  bush fires. Right now there are 95 fires burning across New South Wales. In Wagga Wagga it was +45° today. Sydney will have 40° tomorrow, and all National Parks will be closed. It is in the middle of people's vacation and many people are out and about, so I guess they have to have strict safety measures like that.

Well, have you made any New Year's resolutions then?  If not you can get some ideas here. Good luck with that!